Battery Energy Storage System (Bess) Developer Root-Power has announced that it has broken a new BESS project in Scotland.
The Dounreay Bess, located near Thurso, is a 34 MW/68MWH Bess development in a remote area near the coast in the Scottish Highlands. The external location was explicitly chosen, because according to Root-Power the area is expected to undergo a “big overhaul” in the coming years, because offshore and onshore wind developments are starting to come online in the area. The developers also note that the location offers handy connection points to various of the Orkney Islands.
The project has now started construction after receiving a building permit in January this year. The project is close to a former nuclear power plant and required considerable consultation with the nuclear dismantling authority before the planning permission could be obtained. The Dounreay Bess is expected to go live in mid -2026 and once completed, a net profit of 14% biodiversity will yield to the area.
Dan Shore, head of delivery at Root-Power, said that the Dounreay Bess “an important project” is for Root-Power, adding that the unique challenges of developing at such a remote location are overcome thanks to the combined efforts of local contractors and sector specialist employees.
Managing Director of Root-Power, Neil Brooks, added that the company is ‘excited’ to see the construction phase of the Dounreaay Bess start. Brooks added: “This progress underlines the dedication of Root-Power to take his role as a leader in the battery storage sector”.
Root-Power in the turnout
Since the launch last year as a specialized BESS drivers from Ylem energy, Root-Power has seen meteoric growth and it has quickly become one of the most productive players in the BESS sector. Last month the developer insured a building permit for a new 50 MW/100MWH Bess in Reading, The Withy Place Bess. This development was the sixth Bess for which Root-Power had protected the building permit in just three months, after he also received a building permit for a berry of 30 MW/60mWh in Greater Manchester, the Ellen Road Bess.
In February, Root-Power announced that the building permit had been granted for a 40 MW/80mWh Bess in Rotherham; Only a few weeks earlier, the developer insured a building permit for the 40MW/80MWH Osgodby Bess in Selby, North Yorkshire.
The company has tried to develop an ambitious pipeline from the start. In August 2024, just one month after the launch, the developer appointed the Planning Advice Agency LANPRO, PWA Planning, RCA Regeneration, ELG Planning and Clive Fagg planning to accelerate the delivery of a Bumper 40 project Bess Pipeline.
